Process of obtaining potash salts from kelp.



WIL-SON. l PROCESS 0F OBTAINING POTASH SALTS FROM KELP.-

APPLICATION 1"1LI;n.ooT.1e, 1912.

1,08*?,47'7 Patented Feb.17,1914.

INVENTOR HAR-RY VILSON, OF SAN FRANCISCG, CALI FGRNIA, ASSIGNGR TO PACEFIEG KELE G0..

OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNEA, A. CORFORATIN OF CALIFORNXA.

P .OCESS OF OBTAINING OTASH SALTS FROM REL?.

Specification of I. ttcrs Patent.

Patented Feb. U?, Mill Application filed October 16, 1.9i?. Seri-a1 No. 725,070.

To all idiom. yit may (7o/cern Be it lrnou'n that l, Hanny .ViLsoN, a subject ot' thc King ot England, residing iu the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and usetul Improvements in Processes ot Obtaining Potash Salts from Kelp, oit which the following is a spccitication.

This invention relates to a process to increase and malte available the nitrogen content of certain lrelps or sea-Weeds through which all of the sa ts may be secured and the value ot the organic matter preserved for fertilizing purposes.

The nitrogen content of the kelp is all present as organic nitrogen and not available until it has undergone nitritication, which can only come through decomposition ot' the organic matter. The chlorin in the kelp is the strongest and most active content and must be removed to allow nitri; lication. to take place. Therefore a vat or Vessel is constructed that will contain the lrelp as it'is removed from the beds. The material from which the vat is made is ot such nature that the chlorin Will eillorcscc through the side, bottom and top, carrying with it whatever potassium will imite in forming a pure potassium chlorid. This will allow the nitritying bacilli or animal organisms to completely decompose and nitrify the organic matter and the available nitrogen to combine with the remaining potassium and torni potassium nitrate.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of an ap` paratus sui table for practising the invention: only part of the device being shown. Fig. 2 is a cross section.

A, a concrete foundation with water-prooil finish and covering of aspbaltum that is proof against decomposition by the action ofthe alkalis; B, concrete receptacle for evaporation under ordinary atmospheric condition; C, timber foundation with asphaltum covering; D, chamber for material; E, outside wall ot porous clay or sandstone through which the salts will filter or ctlioresce; F, covering otpulverized clay to allow the admission of air but exclude the light.

The rat or chamber is illed With green lrelp, reasonably free from foreign matter such as sand, shells and dritt. lWithin tive days the vegetable cellsphal broken down,

r the nitrii'ving bacilli have commenced work,

i. l l

nesia and chlorid of sodium.

au-:l a coating of potassium chlorid has elllorcsced and covered the outside ot the porms 'clay walls and bottom. vWithin twelye days decomposition is in active progress inside and the etilorescence of potassium chlorid on the outside has much incr used. lllithin thirty daf/"s the nitriying organisms have transformed the contents ot' the vat to semi-solution, elilorescence of potassium chlorid on the outside -has increased, and ciliorescence of potassium chlorid has now started to forni on the clay covering on top. From this point decomposition continues on the inside of the vat and etliorescence continues on the voutside and top until all oit' the moisture contained has been exhausted. and the remaining material is practically dry. The dry content is then lixiviated with pure Water and a high grade aotassium nitrate will then ellioresce; this eiiiorescence of potassium nitrate takes piace in the same 'vessel as the first etliorescence. The remaining content is then dried out and pulverzcd and used for fertilizer, as sutiicient nitrates, phosphates and potash still remain for that purpose. All this-inside content remaining at the ond of the process is a complete fertilizer containing the required amount ot phosphates, nitrates and potash. with the organic matter; and all the outside etliorcsced values consisting of the chlorids and nitrates, practically free from organic matter arc marketable as such.

The chlorids included in the aforesaid outside eftloresced values comprise not only chlorid of potassium but chlorid of mag'- Eor it is understood that as soon as the nitrifying bacilli have become active there is a chemical reaction 'takes place on the inside oi" the kiln, and the chlorin liberated by that operation immediately combines with other salts and toward the latter stage of thev operation is eflloresced as a chlorid of magnesio and a chlorid of sodium.

Having thus described my invention, what. claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The method of recovering potassium chlorid and potassium nitrate from kelp which consists in placing the kelp in a liltering vessel and excluding the light, permitting decomposition to go on inside'the vessel and elllorescence to proceed until the potassium 'chlorid has accumulated on the outside of the regge?. and ille moisture in the vessel is evaporated, adding Water to the vessel content mit! than allowing e'vepoiw tion and eloreseence to proeeefl as before, to reeoi7 r the potassium nitrate,

2. The process of treating kelp which consists in placing the lrelp to be treated in a porous Vat having suiiicieiit filtering power toliolo blick all the organic matter and to allow eiliorescence, permitting the nitrifying bacilli in the kelp to become active, permitting decomposition to proceed' until the ni-- trilying organisms lmve transformed the contents of the Vat to a semi-solution and the chiorid salts have eloresced and do posited on the outside 01"" the Vat letting 'th decomposition and eiorescence continue until the moisture has evaporated, adding Water to 'the vat contenti and recovering the nitrates by ei'florescence.

m ayoo f 3e The .method of treating nel@ which conin allowing the lrelp 'to leeoi iii a porous Vessel, and reeove. il. rio.

salts :md nitrates resulting from 'ill position by eilorescei'lce on the oi the porous vessel.

Il. The method of treating lic consists in allowing it to flecompoD 'ffcoiferf ing the eliloricl salts (lue to er :position by elloresceiice tlirovgli :i ilt 'me ifium, then drying" the lecompossei?L lixiviat ing the dried .lrelp with i 1, s. recover- Witnesses:

JGHN El. 

